jps385

http://www.state.nj.us/health/ems/trama_centers.shtml See the NJ DOH website above. Neither Morristown or hackensack are lvl 1 (neither is Jersey City which came as a surprise). Just a note when looking up trauma centers, most are not designated by FACs but by individual states (you'll notice according to FACs there are none in NY) so to get an accurate list you need to look at the state websites.

Just about everyone who get hired a voluntary has a "hook", most just won't admit it. Just remember that how you got hired is less important than what you do on the job.

Has anyone seen this page. Lots of old picture and memories. The good old days at Empress are a popluar topic now adays. Face Book Group "I worked at Empress when it didn't suck" 99 Bovine!!

Empire just notified their staff officially that transcare has the contract.

No more than when the county executive was affiliated with sloper, but hey its Putnam! Actually I believe that Bob recused himself from the selection process. Not sure how he'll handle it going forward.

Actually I hear they've narrowed it down to A-1, Abbey or affiliated!

As far as I know we have no supervisors who have been promoted recently who worked in the field, that having been said if you feel patient care was grossly compromised (as your sttaement makes it sound) as a profesional you would have an ethical obligation to report this to some authority (either region or state).

Empire will cease to exist and be replaced by Hudson Valley Paramedics, Over the last few months a completely new managment team has come in with new philosophies and ways of doing things so to an extent it really is a new company and hence the name change.

The two have nothing to do with one another, the union contract calls for insurance X to be provided, the hospitals contracting with a given insurance company is completely separate. Anyone with Blue cross can attest to the fact that hospitals drop their contracts with providers (or at least threaten to) all the time. It an annual event that I get a letter saying that stellaris won't accept BC after 4/30, then they reach an agreement.

I think what he was referring to was the fact that there is no place in the bedford area more than 25 minutes from wcmc. By the time you package, drive to the LZ, tranfer to the flight crew (who futzs around for 15 minutes) then fly them out you could have been at the medical center twice without the risks and costs associated with the bird.

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../803100359/1020 Link to the Journal News Article, more talk of the putnam medic contract.

15V is gone over the next few months. The city is no longer rubber stamping the voluntary contracts when they are up for renewal. FDNY wanted a ALS bus out of the new BX north battalion so 15V is cut. As far as I know the BLS units are not affected.

empire is in the county until 9/2008. They supposed to release a formal RFP in the spring for a new contract.

"Until I see there's been a drastic safety issue involving a house burned to the ground or people were killed - I haven't heard any stories like that, and therefore, I feel the system is working," he said Wow, what a profound statement. No ones died yet so why worry. Great mentality for an elected offical.

At last nights legislature meeting the county decided it could not afford the increased cost of ALS and voted to no longer fund the service. If nothing changes this means that as of 10/1 there will be no medics or daytime BLS ambulances available for the county. Political games may potentially cost the county a vital service.

I agree that PCBES should administer the program (can't believe I actually said that), but what difference does it make if its the town or the county paying for it? The money will come out of the same tax bill (mine) it will just be under a different heading. This has much less to do about cost and more to do with the fact that the legislature and Bondi couldn't agree on the color of the sky, and this was just an oportunity to to stick it to him. I hope everyonember. in Putnam remembers this when they vote for legislators in November.

I believe they have a hat with the names of agencies in it. When it comes time for mutual aid they pick 2. Being that any call in an unnamed town which borders Pawilng is most likely to go mutual aid you'd think they would call Pawling (with a staffed ambulance) at least as a top 4 choice. Sometimes they are never called and the towns just keep on coming. Or the poplar comapany 1 can't get out, their call is covered by company B. Then 10 minutes later a call comes out for comapny B (or a second call for company and off go the tones for the comapny A which couldn't cover a call 10 minuts ago. Just as a note I belive it was said that something like 20% of call were taking 20 minuts + to get an ambulance out for prior to the new BLS plan. Just remember that was when medics would ride as EMTs if necesary. If the medics and the BLS backup go we could see response times of 20 minute + to 505 or more of calls. Then maybe we should start toning out the whole county for every call and hope we get someone.

Actually it looks like a snorkel was operating on the otherside so they had atleast 1 arial. But atleast they had their SCBA's on!

The contract was written as 1 year with option to renew. There is a 90 day termination clause which allow either party to terminate the contract with 90 days notice. This is standard just about every contract out there. As far as low balling the bid, thye were only about 50K less than Alamo. At the time everyone was low balling contracts (look around Dutchess-Transcare, Mobile Life, Alamo, and NDP) to get business from one another. These comapnies finally woke up (look at what happened to Pawling) and are no longer able or willing to lose money like this. At the same time if you look at the RFP that Putnam put out it appears that there are alot more call than there really are.

Your are correct, I was reffering to the daytime BLS coverage which is utilized 3-10 times per day on the East side of the county. If the stands some of the towns will arrive at their own soultions, however those are probably the towns that haven't ignored the BLS problem for years. (But at least we have a golf course and horse farm!)

Why is it that some departments are willing to put quality service above egos? Dutchess seems very progressive in this area and while it is sad to see so many Volunteer Squads stop providing EMS it is good to know that leaders are willing to take on this issue an ensure that patients come first. Its a shame that other areas further south haven't figured this out and are still holding on inspite of rampant use of mutual-aid and 30+ minute responses.

3.7 Million for an ambulance station with 3 bays!!. Put Valley's new building was little over a Million with 3 bays (oversized, you could probably reconfigure for 6), offices for line and admin officers, gym, two ready/rec rooms, full kitchen, full hall and some miscelaneous spaces. What is New Milford getting? Mahopacs new firehouse is huge (8 bays some double) and was only around 8 Million. That and the statement that a paid ambulance service would be more than a new building? 3.7 mil will fund paid staff for quite awhile. This is not meant to disparage NM VAC, don't know much about them, just the numbers and statments in the article are a little suprising.

I agree with the need for training but I will point out at least these guys respond. How many departments around here invest in EMT training and still can't role a truck. If I read the article right it sounds like thay have never been offered the training. My question is if once an orgaization is certified the state will pick up the tab for CFR and EMT training, it sounds like a Catch 22 where they can't recieve the training until your certified, but you can't get certified without the training. While for most departments aroud here spending 10-15 grand to put people through a course may not seem like much to many departments its a huge investment.

Those numbers seem a bit high but the fact is putnam is just experiencing what pawling did a few months ago. EMS costs Money!! Maybe if the days of low ball bids from the privates are at an end we'll start to see a few more municipal services come into existence. This would be better for both the employees as well as the public as we may start to see the experience level increase if people stay medics for more than a few years.

What does the contract say? If it says the towns ambulance can only respond to calls received via 911 then if the prison calls Alamo direct the call should not use Beekamn's ambulance. If the contract reads any calls originating in the town of Beekman than Alamo is within their rights. The fact that this is state property doesn't preclude them from calling 911. I've repsonded into federal correctional facilites while working NYC 911. DMV is a state facility do they need a comercial provider to respond? Back to contracts what people say and what is written are ussually very different. Putnam was told there would be 911 back fill as avaialble. What does the Beekman contract say? Does it guarantee a backfill ambulance in a certain amount of time (written down, not what someone from Alamo told you).